Vending machine control system, control device and control method
AssigneeRakuten Group, Inc.
InventorsMijung Kim, Jinling Chen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When a vending machine control system S detects a user who is about to open a door 13 of a vending machine 1 while the door 13 is locked, the vending machine control system S determines whether the detected user has a payment capability on the basis of information for settlement of the detected user. And then, the vending machine control system S controls to unlock the door 13 of the vending machine 1 in a case that it is determined that the user has the payment capability.
Claims7
A vending machine control system comprising:
- at least one memory configured to store program code;
- and at least one processor configured to access the program code and operate as instructed by the program code,
- wherein the program code comprises:
- detection code configured to cause the at least one processor to detect a user within a predetermined distance from a door of a vending machine when the door is in a locked state;
- orientation determination code configured to cause the at least one processor to determine whether the user's body is facing toward the door;
- acquisition code configured to cause the at least one processor to acquire information confirming the user's ability to settle a purchase of a product from the vending machine;
- determination code configured to cause the at least one processor to determine, based on the acquired purchase settlement information, whether the user has a payment capability;
- and
- first control code configured to cause the at least one processor to cause the door to change to an unlocked state based on detecting that the user is within the predetermined distance, determining that the user has the payment capability, and determining that the user's body is facing toward the door.
A control method executed by at least one processor, the control method comprising:
- detecting a user within a predetermined distance from a door of a vending machine when the door is in a locked state;
- determining whether the detected user's body is facing toward the door;
- acquiring information confirming the user's ability to settle a purchase of a product from the vending machine;
- determining, based on the acquired purchase settlement information, whether the user has a payment capability;
- and
- controlling the door to change to an unlocked state based on detecting that the user is within the predetermined distance from the door of the vending machine, determining that the user has the payment capability, and determining that the user's body is facing toward the door.
A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by at least one processor cause the at least one processor to execute a method of controlling a vending machine, the method comprising:
- detecting a user within a predetermined distance from a door of a vending machine when the door is in a locked state;
- determining whether the detected user's body is facing toward the door;
- acquiring information confirming the user's ability to settle a purchase of a product from the vending machine;
- determining, based on the acquired purchase settlement information, whether the user has a payment capability;
- and
- controlling the door to change to an unlocked state based on detecting that the user is within the predetermined distance from the door of the vending machine, determining that the user has the payment capability, and determining that the user's body is facing toward the door.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.